Tag: Broadway

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Podcast: Celebrating The Return Of HELLO, DOLLY! To Broadway


 Hello, Dolly! is back on Broadway in a brand new, luscious revival starring the effervescent Bette Midler.

In this episode of The Randy Report podcast, I share some history of the classic Broadway blockbuster including how some songs were once cut, and then, restored to the show.

Who knows the songs “Penny In My Pocket,” “Love, Look In My Window,” and “World Take Me Back?” All were once cut from Dolly – guess which one is back in the new revival?

BONUS >>>Listen in as I share Tony Award winner Leslie Uggams’ performance of one of those “trunk songs,” delivered in spectacular fashion, from when she wore the “red dress” in a major production of Hello, Dolly!

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Tony Award Winner Billy Porter Talks On “The Soul Of Richard Rodgers”

What better to get you over hump day than some great new music?

Check out Tony Award winner (and now record producer) Billy Porter as he chats on his latest project, Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers.

The album drops April 17th.

I’ve known Billy for over 20 years, and this new album is easily the most eagerly awaited music project on my radar.

The album, which features new, soulful takes on classic Richard Rodgers songs, includes solos and duets featuring some of today’s most compelling artists.

The complete track listing for Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers is as follows:

1. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning (Pentatonix & Billy Porter)

2. My Romance (Leslie Odom Jr.)

3. If I Loved You (Renée Elise Goldsberry & Christopher Jackson)

4. With a Song in My Heart (Brandon Victor Dixon & Joshua Henry)

5. I Have Dreamed (Patina Miller)

6. My Funny Valentine (Cynthia Erivo)

7. I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair (Todrick Hall & Billy Porter)

8. This Nearly was Mine (Deborah Cox)

9. Bewitched (Ledisi featuring Zaire Park)

10. Carefully Taught (India.Arie & Billy Porter)

11. Lady is a Tramp (Billy Porter featuring Zaire Park)

12. Edelweiss (Billy Porter)

“I like to think of this as the Richard Rodgers version of the Hamilton Mixtapes,” Porter said. “These are classic songs that everybody knows and loves, and I’m so excited for people to hear them in a brand new way.”

Billy’s solo albums include his first CD, Untitled, on A&M records, At the Corner of Broadway + Soul – LIVE on Sh-K-Boom Records, and Billy’s Back on Broadway, on Concord Records

As regular Randy Report readers know, Billy originated the role of ‘Lola’ in the Broadway hit Kinky Boots, which won him 2013 Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

Other theatre appearances include Shuffle Along, Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Mo, Grease, Smokey Joe’s Cafe all on Broadway; plus Dreamgirls, Angels in America, The Merchant of Venice, Radiant Baby, Birdie Blue, Songs for a New World, Ghetto Superstar (one-man show), Topdog/Underdog, King Lear.

Check out a few tracks from Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers below, including Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo’s luscious take on “My Funny Valentine” and Billy dueting with 4-time Grammy Award winner India.Arie on “Carefully Taught.”

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Meet This Season’s Sexy Dancers Of Broadway

Casey Lee Ross (via Instagram)

TimeOut Magazine shares it’s round up of this season’s sexiest dancers on Broadway, including Casey Lee Ross (above) from the new revival of Miss Saigon.

Hit the link for more Broadway sexiness; and check below for more of Mr. Ross via Instagram.

A post shared by caseyleeross (@caseyleeross) on Jul 30, 2015 at 9:24pm PDT

A post shared by caseyleeross (@caseyleeross) on Aug 17, 2016 at 8:08pm PDT

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Theatergoer Collapses During Bette’s Hello, Dolly! – “I’d Sooner Die Than Miss Act 2!”

According to The New York Post, a theater patron fell ill during the first act of the already-blockbuster Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler.

But the theater-goer refused to leave. Check this out 🙂

At the Bette Midler show — which has instantly become Broadway’s hottest ticket, raking in $1.4 million in its first five performances — a source told us, “Around halfway through the first act,” an audience member visiting from LA “started to feel dizzy and made his way to the aisle. But he lost consciousness and collapsed before the end of his row.”

The show was halted, and paramedics were called and took him to the lobby. “When he regained consciousness, they checked his vitals and insisted he should go straight to the hospital,” the source said. The guy refused, exclaiming, “I’d sooner die than miss Act 2!” Producer Scott Rudin even invited him to come see the show again.

I’ve had several friends who have seen the show and raved. The production already has a $40 million advance sale.

Assuming Bette doesn’t do more than a year – and that the show is going to be a smash hit – who could possibly replace with equal star power?

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First Look: Bette Midler in HELLO, DOLLY!

Bette Midler as “Dolly Levi” (Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes)

First look at Bette Midler’s star turn in the upcoming Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!

The new production, set to open at the Shubert Theater April 20, begins previews tomorrow night. Already box office record have been broken in anticipation of the divine Miss M’s debut as the irascible matchmaker.

From BroadwayWorld.com:

The upcoming revival of Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman’s masterpiece Hello, Dolly!, starring legendary performer Bette Midler, has quickly become the hottest ticket of the year. Directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle.

This Hello, Dolly!, the first new production of this classic musical (based on Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker) to appear on Broadway since it opened more than fifty years ago, will pay tribute to the original work of legendary director/ choreographer Gower Champion, which has been hailed both then and now as one of the greatest stagings in musical theater history.

As regular Randy Report readers may know, I made my Broadway debut in the last revival of Dolly! with original Tony Award winning star Carol Channing in 1995. I staged the national tour of the production after we closed on Broadway, and at least 10 times since then. I’m still in love with the show.

Wishing everyone at the Shubert Theater a wondermous run with the show.

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Hillary Clinton Attends Broadway’s “Sunset Boulevard” To Standing Ovation

(image via Facebook)

Hillary Clinton attended last night’s performance of Sunset Boulevard on Broadway, and upon entering the theater received a long and resounding standing ovation.

See, Donald? When you do something the people appreciate, we applaud.

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Preview: Jake Gyllenhaal In SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE

Jake Gyllenhaal makes his musical Broadway debut in the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George, set to begin previews at the historic Hudson Theatre on February 11.

The official opening of the limited run production (ten weeks only) is February 23rd.

Gyllenhaal shared this video via Facebook featuring a run-though of “Finishing The Hat.”

Watch below:

This is what happens when Riva Marker (the badass president of NineStories) and I invite #CaryJojiFukunaga to rehearsals for our new Broadway musical. Check out this video we made! #SundayintheParkWithGeorge

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News Round-Up: January 17, 2017

Some news items you may have missed:

• The weather forecast for Friday in Washington DC? 90% chance of rain. See forecast above. How terrible… 😉

• Some of Broadway’s biggest stars – including Tony Award winners Betty Buckley, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Kelli O’Hara, Jessie Mueller and Billy Porter – will be spending Inauguration Day at a concert in New York City that raises money for human rights organizations.

• Over 50 Democratic members of Congress (53 at last count) will not be attending the Trump inauguration.

• Speaking of the inauguration, scalpers are having a tough time unloading tickets they bought for the event this Friday.

• Team Trump is having such a tough time getting supporters to the inaugural festivities they are using targeted Facebook ads to up free ticket attendance.

• One more inauguration item: don’t miss Randy Rainbow’s hysterical interview with Tony Award winner Jennifer Holliday regarding her recent kerfuffle when she confirmed then cancelled her appearance the “peaceful transfer of power.”

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Hillary Clinton Receives Several Standing Ovations At Broadway’s THE COLOR PURPLE

My Broadway tribe 🙂

From the New York Times:

Hillary Clinton, who has kept a relatively low public profile since losing the presidential election two months ago, on Sunday showed up at the final performance of the Broadway revival of “The Color Purple,” reveling in the story of a beleaguered woman who triumphs over the oppressive men in her life (and, along the way, discovers a love for colorful pants).

Mrs. Clinton, accompanied by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and their daughter, Chelsea, received several ovations from the sold-out audience as she arrived, and then another round of applause when she was acknowledged by the cast after the show.

“There’s a lot of really awesome famous and notable people here today,” the actress Patrice Covington, who gave the farewell speech on behalf of the cast after the show, said to the audience. “I’m not going to call all of them out — I know you already know them,” she said, before pausing, looking in Mrs. Clinton’s direction, and waving at her mischievously. At that, the audience erupted into a new, loud round of applause.

The reaction was substantially warmer than the scattered booing and clapping that greeted the arrival of Vice President-elect Mike Pence when he attended “Hamilton,” just one block north, on Nov. 18.

“We love you Hillary,” some audience members shouted. Several thanked Mrs. Clinton and told her, “God bless you.”

“God bless you,” Mrs. Clinton replied.

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“Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out!” Starring Tony Award Winners Betty Buckley, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, Bebe Neuwirth & More

This is all kinds of awesomeness 🙂

Click here for all the details for Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out!, the first of a monthly benefit concert series with Broadway, TV, film and recording stars that will debut at The Town Hall on Friday, January 20, 2017, at 3:00pm.

The concert will feature performances by Betty Buckley, Sharon Gless, Andrea Martin, Jessie Mueller, Bebe Neuwirth, Rosie O’Donnell, Rosie Perez, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell and more.

Proceeds will benefit several national organizations working to protect human rights, including Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center and the Sierra Club Foundation.

Tickets range from $25 to $50 and are available at TicketMaster.com and at The Town Hall box office (123 W 43rd St.). Participating performers are subject to change.

But here’s the best part – if you can’t attend, no worries! The concert will be broadcast on Facebook Live at 3:00pm EST on January 20th, directed by Emmy Award winner Debbie Miller.

How super cool is that? So buy your tickets if you’ll be in the NYC area on January 20th, or set your calendar to remind you at ten minutes to 3PM EST that day to hit the link and watch your favorite Broadway stars “stand up, and sing out!”